Essence of Andhra

Pumpkin Rava Laddu

2009-11-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

A new treat for the thanksgiving from me!! I have been thinking of making something new for this thanksgiving, so came up with this idea of making laddus with pumpkin. I am so happy that it turned out so delicious and everyone liked them.

Ingredients: (Makes 25 medium-sized Laddus)

1 cup Pumpkin Pulp (canned or fresh) (If using fresh, check out this recipe where I gave step by step instructions for making fresh pumpkin pulp from scratch)
2 cups Semolina (Upma Rava)
½ cup grated Coconut (fresh or dry)
2 cups Sugar
2 tsp Ghee
Some broken Cashews
Some Raisins
Some Cardamom Seeds/Powder

Preparation:

Dry roast semolina until it turns golden brown. Then transfer to a plate and keep aside.

In the same pan heat ghee and add cashews + raisins and fry till cashews turn golden brown and raisins bubble up. Then add coconut and again fry till it changes color and turns into light brown.

Later add the pumpkin pulp + sugar and mix well. Keep stirring the mixture until all the sugar gets melted and the mixture attains a soft halwa stage.

Finally add the roasted semolina to the pan and mix very well so that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring the mixture gets thickened (until 2 minutes). Turn off the flame and leave the pan for some time until the mixture cools down and is easy to touch.

When it is cool enough to touch, take small portions of the mixture and make into balls of desired size. Spread on a plate to dry for some time until it gets hardened.

Please Note: As we added pumpkin pulp, it takes a little more time for the laddus to harden.

(But as we couldn’t wait for the laddus to get hardened, we ate them as soon as the laddus are made. They still tasted great, but were little soft and chewy.)

Enjoy these yummy laddus any time of the day. This is my thanksgiving treat for my family.

Here are some more yummy ideas for the thanksgiving:

I wish you all a VERY HAPPY AND FUN-FILLED THANKSGIVING!!

Simple Cauliflower Pappu

2009-11-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

Today I am blogging about a simple but delicious pappu (daal) made with cauliflower. This is an ultimate comfort food for any day.

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor Daal (Kandi Pappu)
½ cup Cauliflower Florets, finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, chopped into pieces
2 or 3 Green Chilies, cut into small pieces
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
A pinch of Asafetida (Inguva, Hing)
Some Cilantro Leaves
Salt as required

For Tempering/Seasoning:

½ tsp Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Oil

Preparation:

Pressure-cook toor dal until 3-4 whistles.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a bowl/pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add cumin seeds.

Then add cauliflower + tomato + green chilies, pour little water and leave it on medium flame until the veggies cook well.

When the veggies become soft, add the cooked toor dal and mix well. To this add turmeric powder + hing and mix well. Add little more water, if needed.

Finally add cilantro + salt and mix well. When dal comes to a boil, turn off the flame.

Transfer the cooked dal to a serving bowl and enjoy. It goes well with rice/chapathi.

On a Different Note:

Have you ever read a story written by a kid? As you already knew my 10-year old has her own blog called “Crazy World of Art” where she shares her art works, craft works and stories. She couldn’t update her blog for many days due to school work, but now she got some time and she posted a beautiful story. Please encourage her by visiting her blog and leaving your precious comments. I think kids would definitely enjoy this story told by a kid. Thank you!! Here is the link:

http://myartisticworld.blogspot.com/2009/11/shortcut-that-started-it-all.html

Pinto Beans Dosa - Spicy

2009-11-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes!! You heard it correct! I recently made a yummy dosa with pinto beans. I know, I know this is another one of my crazy creations!! But trust me; DH said it tasted soooo delicious. I felt like eating a pesarattu.

Pinto beans are so rich in fiber and iron. Here are some health benefits of these beans:

Pinto beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, pinto beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, pinto beans provide virtually fat-free, high quality protein. But this is far from all pinto beans have to offer. Pinto beans are also an excellent source of molybdenum, a very good source of folate and manganese, and a good source of protein and vitamin B1 as well as the minerals phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, and copper. Source: WHFoods.

Ingredients:

1 cup Pinto Beans
1 cup Rice Flour
A small piece of Ginger
2 or 3 Green Chilies
Handful of Cilantro Leaves
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt as required
Oil

Preparation:

Wash and soak pinto beans in plenty of water overnight or at least 8 hours.

When they become soft, grind the beans into a fine paste along with ginger + green chilies + cilantro. Add more water if needed. It’s ok if it doesn’t grind so smoothly, it still tastes great.

Note: You can also grind ginger + green chilies + cilantro separately instead of adding it to the beans and then mix with the batter.

Transfer this pinto bean batter to a big bowl and add rice flour + cumin seeds + salt and mix well. Make a thin batter.

Heat a non-stick pan and pour a ladleful of the batter in the center and spread quickly into a circle. Pour little oil around the dosa and leave it for some time until it comes off easily from the pan.

Flip over and pour little more oil (optional) around the dosa and let it cook for some time. Remove from the pan and place on a serving plate. Repeat the same process with rest of the batter.

Enjoy these hot dosas with your favorite chutney. Yummy!!

Spiced Flax Seed Powder

2009-11-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

I never knew about these flax seeds before. Thanks to blogging, I came know many such good things. Flax seeds have very high nutritional values. They are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids and lignans that help to fight cancer. Flax seeds are full of fiber and helps in weight management too. There are many health benefits we can get from these flax seeds. So it would be better if we include these amazing seeds in our daily cooking.

Image Source: http://www.strollerstrides.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/flaxseed1.jpg

I tried to prepare a spice powder with these flax seeds and it was a hit in my family. Try it yourself and taste the health and deliciousness. And it involves very simple and fast preparation.

Ingredients:

½ cup Flax Seeds
1 cup Black Gram (Minappappu, Urad Dal)
¼ cup Coriander Seeds (Dhaniyalu, Dhaniya)
3-4 tsp Red Chili Powder (or according to individual taste)
Salt

Preparation:

Dry roast all the ingredients except chili powder and salt. Leave aside for some time to cool.

Add these roasted ingredients to a blender along with chili powder + salt and grind into a fine powder.

Enjoy this yummy, spicy and healthy powder with rice/dosas/idlis.

Tomato Rava Dosa

2009-11-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hope all of you enjoyed the Halloween. My kids collected a year supply of candies and treats. Halloween is the most enjoyable event for all the kids, isn’t it? We had a small gathering for Halloween. It was fun!!

Now coming to today’s recipe, this is a nice variation to the regular rava dosa. It was delicious and colorful.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice Flour
1 cup Semolina (Upma Rava)
3 or 4 Tomatoes, medium sized
A small piece of Ginger
A few Cilantro leaves, chopped fine
Some sour Buttermilk or Water to make batter
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

Chop tomatoes into big pieces and grind into a paste along with ginger. Keep aside.

Mix together rice flour + semolina and make into thin batter by adding buttermilk or water. Add salt as required. Add tomato paste + cilantro to the batter and mix well.

Heat a non-stick pan and pour a ladleful of batter first around the edges of the pan in a circle. Quickly fill in the circle to make it into a big circle. Pour some oil around the dosa and let the dosa cook for a while. Then flip it over and pour some more oil (optional). When it is cooked on both sides, remove from the pan and transfer to a serving plate.

Repeat the same process with remaining batter. Enjoy these delicious and colorful dosas with your favorite chutney.

Broccoli Chayote Pickle

2009-10-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is a simple and healthy pickle. As we all knew broccoli is a healthy vegetable that has plenty of nutrients. If interested to know more about the health benefits of broccoli, read here.

Ingredients:

1 head Broccoli, chopped (discard the stem)
1 cup Chayote Squash pieces (Seema Vankaya)
5-6 Red Chilies
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Bengal Gram (Pachi Senagapappu, Chana Dal)
½ tsp Black Gram (Minapapappu, Urad Dal)
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Tamarind pulp
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
A pinch of Asafetida (Inguva, Hing)
Handful of Cilantro
1 tbsp Oil
Salt

Preparation:

Heat half of the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds + chana dal + urad dal + red chilies and fry till the dals turn golden brown. Then transfer them to a plate.

In the same pan pour rest of the oil and add broccoli + chayote pieces. Sauté well until they become little soft. Also add turmeric + asafetida + cilantro and mix well. When the veggies become little tender, turn off the flame and transfer the contents into a plate.

Let them cool for some time and then grind all the ingredients (both dals mixture + veggies mixture) into a soft paste along with tamarind and salt. Add little water if needed.

Enjoy this yummy pickle with rice and little ghee. Mix this pickle with plain yogurt to eat with chapathis. It tastes great!!

Pouring Again….

2009-10-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I again got drenched in the shower of awards from dear friends. I’ve been postponing to do this due to laziness :)

Babli, Ambika, Prasu, Sireesha have generously passed the following awards. Thank you so much for these awards dear friends!!

Over the top award comes with a meme. Here it goes:

Where is ur cell phone: Charging
Ur hair: Black
Ur mother: Best friend and guide
Ur father:Best Father
Ur fav food: Pasta
Ur dream last night: Don’t remember
Ur fav drink: Mango Juice
Ur dream: To see a peaceful world
Ur hobby: Reading, stitching, singing
Ur fear: Darkness, Dogs
Where do u want to be in 6 yrs: On Top
Where were u last night: Near Computer
Where did u grow up: Andhra Pradesh
Last thing u did: Filled out the top portion of this meme
Ur t.v: Taking rest
Ur pets: None
Ur friends: So Friendly
Ur life: Peaceful, Crazy, Happy
Ur mood: Calm
Missing some one: My Mother
Vehicle: Chrysler Town & Country
Something u r not wearing: Shoes
Ur fav store: Not just one!!
Ur fav color: Green, Hot Pink
When was the last time u laughed: Hmmmm……
Last time u cried: Again hmmm…….
Ur best friend: My entire family
One place I go over and over: My Home
One person who emails me regularly: Not just one!!
Fav place to eat: Home

This award and MeMe must be passed on 6 other blogs. But I am passing to 8 friends.

Usha Nandini, Tina, Prathibha, Sadhana - Muskaan, Home Cooked, Chitra, Jayasree, Cham

CONGRATS TO YOU ALL!!

Pappu (Uppu) Chekkalu

2009-10-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is a traditional and delicious snack. I prepared these during Deepavali along with the Payasam. These are very simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

4 cups Rice Flour
¼ cup Butter, softened
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ cup Bengal Gram (Pachi Senagapappu, Chana Daal)
A small piece of Ginger
6-7 Green Chilies (adjust according to taste)
Some Curry leaves
Salt
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

Wash and soak chana dal in water for 30-60 minutes until it becomes soft.

Grind ginger and green chilies together into a paste. Keep aside.

Mix together rice flour + butter + cumin seeds + curry leaves + ginger-green chili paste + soaked dal + salt into a thick paste/dough using a little water as required.

Heat the oil in a deep-bottomed pan. Take small lumps of the rice flour dough and flatten into thin circles. You can use your hand or a plastic sheet for doing this. I used Ziploc cover for this purpose.

Carefully drop these circles into the hot oil and deep fry until they turn golden brown in color. Then remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat the same process with rest of the dough.

Enjoy these yummy pappu chekkalu any time.

This is my contribution for “Diwali Dhamaka”, hosted by Purva.

Honeydew Melon Paayasam (Kheer)

2009-10-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Deepavali!! As usual, my mind started tickling me to do something different from the routine cooking. Don’t be scared, I didn’t make any dangerous experiments on the festive cooking :) I added just a little something to the regular payasam to make it more pleasing and yummy. I wanted to sneak in healthy fruits in the payasam that kids like very much. And I was successful. Everyone liked it so much and said it was more delicious than regular payasam. YAY! My experiment didn’t fail. I think we can also add other fruits like apple, other melons, pears, bananas etc. to the payasam just to make it more delicious and healthy.

Ingredients:

1 cup grated Honeydew Melon (after the skin is removed)
1 ½ cup Vermicelli (Semiya)
1 cup Water
3 cups Milk
1 ½ cups Sugar
2 tsp Clarified Butter (Neyyi, Ghee)
Some Cashews, Raisins, Cardamom and Saffron

Preparation:

Dry roast vermicelli until light brown and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan and add grated melon. Sauté for some time until the water from melon starts to ooze out. Then add fried semiya and mix well. Pour a cup of water so that semiya can cook well and become soft.

Later add sugar and finally milk, mix well and leave the pan on medium flame until milk comes to a boil and payasam thickens a little bit.

In a different pan heat rest of the ghee and add cashews + raisins + cardamom seeds and fry well until cashes turn golden brown and raisins puff up. Pour this on top of the cooking payasam. Mix well.

Finally stir in saffron, mix well and turn off the flame. Let the payasam cool down for some time and enjoy.

This is my contribution to the following events:

Sweet Series, hosted by Sireesha.

Diwali Dhamaka, hosted by Purva.

FIL: Ghee, hosted by Sanghi.

Putnala Laddu (Dalia/Roasted Chickpeas Balls) – Diwali Special

2009-10-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

With Diwali around the corner, we all would definitely think about making some sweets/snacks to celebrate the occasion. Here is one such sweet I made today for the coming Diwali. This is a very easy and yummy laddu made with Putnaala Pappu/Dalia/ Roasted Chickpeas. I still have some other yummy things in mind for Diwali. I want to prepare them on the day of Diwali. I will post them after that!!

Now let’s have a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:(Makes 10 medium Laddus)

2 cups Putnaala Pappu (Dalia/Roasted Chickpeas)
1 ½ cups Sugar (or more according to your sweet buds)
½ cup Ghee (Neyyi, Clarified Butter)
Some Cashews, halved
Some Raisins
Some Cardamom Seeds/Powder

Preparation:

Mix dalia + sugar together and make into a fine powder using a blender. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat ghee and add cashews + Raisins and fry for some time until cashews turn golden brown and raisins puff up.

Pour this hot ghee on top of powdered dalia + sugar mixture. Add cardamom powder/seeds to the mixture. Using a spoon mix the dalia powder well until it absorbes the hot ghee.

Let it cool down a bit (not too cold) and take small portions of the mixture and shape into balls. Repeat the same process with entire mixture.

Place on a plate to dry for some time and store in an airtight container. These can stay fresh up to a week to 10 days.

Enjoy the delicious laddus with much pleasure.

Check out what I did for last Diwali!!

This is my contribution to the following events:

Sweet Series, hosted by Sireesha.

Diwali Dhamaka, hosted by Purva.

Diwali Contest, hosted by Priya.

FIL: Ghee, hosted by Sanghi.

Yellow Squash Rice

2009-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here is another delicious rice item that was prepared using Yellow Squash. One of our friends has given us lot of these yellow squashes. I made daal with it once, curry once and finally this yummy rice item. As we all know, squash is a healthy vegetable that has very low calories. It is rich in many nutrients and vitamins. If interested to know more about the health benefits of squashes, check this site: WH Foods.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.alharrison.com/commodities.php#12

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
3 cups grated yellow Squash
1 small Onion, cut lengthwise
1 Potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Cardamom Seeds
3 or 4 whole Cloves
½ tsp Cinnamon, ground
3 Green Chilies, chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
¼ cup Green Peas, fresh or frozen
½ tsp Turmeric
4 Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp Oil

Preparation:

Peel, cut the end and grate the yellow squash. Keep aside.

Wash and soak rice in plenty of water until all the other things are made ready.

Heat oil in a pan and add all the other ingredients except rice and sauté well for some time. Then remove the water from the soaked rice and slowly add to the pan. Stir well.

If using pressure pan, add water (3 cups) directly to the pan, adjust salt and leave it on the flame until 3 whistles. Then turn off the flame and let the pressure go out. Mix well.

If using electric rice cooker, then add the contents of the pan to it, adjust salt and let it cook. When done, mix the rice well.

Enjoy the steaming hot rice with some potato chips or raita or just plain yogurt.

Black Chickpea Sprouts Korma – Oil Free

2009-10-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is another healthy curry I prepared with sprouts. And this is fat free too!!

I sprouted Black Chickpeas in the same manner I sprouted Yellow peas. Check out my “Sprouted Yellow Peas Curry” to find out how I sprouted these beans.

Ingredients:

2 cups sprouted Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana, Mudi Senagalu)
1 Onion, chopped
1 Tomato, cut into wedges
2 or 3 Green Chilies, chopped fine (can be replaced with red chili powder)
A pinch of Turmeric
A handful of Cilantro
A clove of Garlic, chopped
A small piece of Ginger, chopped
2 or 3 tsp Chickpea Flour (Besan, Senagapindi)
Salt

Preparation:

Add the sprouted black chana in a bowl or pan, pour some water, cover and let it cook for some time. When the chana looks soft and cooked, add all the chopped veggies and mix well. Add turmeric and cilantro and stir well. Pour little water and leave the pan for some time until the onions become soft.

Mix besan with little water to make gravy and pour into chana mixture. This makes the curry into rich gravy. Adjust salt and turn off the flame. That’s all! Delicious, mouth-watering curry is ready!!

This korma goes well with chapathis. Enjoy!!

Wheat Rava Dosa

2009-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Presenting another instant and healthy dosa from my kitchen!! This so easy to make and contains healthy ingredients. Check out yourself!!

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Cracked Wheat (Godhuma Rava)
Sour Buttermilk to mix (Or some sour yogurt + water)
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder (Adjust according to individual taste)
Salt as required
Oil to pour around dosas

Preparation:

Mix together wheat flour + cracked wheat + black pepper + salt and make into a thin batter by pouring buttermilk as required. Keep aside.

Heat a non-stick pan and pour a ladleful of the batter at the center and quickly spread into a circle. Pour little oil around the dosa and leave it for some time to cook.

Then flip the dosa over and let the other side to cook for some time again. Pour some oil around the dosa again. I usually don’t pour oil for the other side of dosa as it will make the dosa too oily for me.

Remove the dosa from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat the same process with rest of the batter and enjoy with desired chutney.

This is a healthy, light meal for both adults and kids. Yummy!!

This is my contribution for the following events:

Srivalli’s “Kid’s Delight” event
EC’s “WYF:Light Meal” event
Sireesha’s “Cooking for Kids Event- Wheat”, an event started by Sharmi of Neivedyam.

Palak (Spinach) Pakoda

2009-09-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends, How are you all? Hope you had a wonderful Navarathi (Dasara). I know I’ve been irregular these days. I was busy with some personal works, so I couldn’t concentrate on my blog for a long time. I apologize for not visiting your blogs and commenting. I will do that soon.

For this navarathri I prepared some goodies as usual. Actually I prepared all these for a pot luck party that we enjoyed recently. We had a nice gathering on the eve of Navarathris. Palak pakoda is one of those goodies. This is a very easy snack that tastes so great.

Ingredients:

2 cups Spinach, chopped into fine pieces
2 cups Chickpea Flour (Senagapindi, Besan)
1 small Onion, chopped fine or lengthwise (Optional)
Some Green Chilies
A pinch of Soda
Few Cilantro leaves (Optional)
Salt
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

Mix together all the ingredients except oil to make a thick paste. Don’t add too much water. Keep aside.

Pour oil in a pan and when it is hot take small portions of the batter and drop carefully into the hot oil. Deep fry until they turn into golden brown in color. Then transfer them into a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.

Repeat the same process with rest of the batter. Transfer all the deep fried pakodas into a serving plate and enjoy with desired sauce or dip.

Here are the other goodies I prepared on the occasion of Navarathris.

Paalakaayalu (Rice Balls) – Recipe can be found here.

Pesara (Mung Dal) Vadalu – Recipe is coming soon.

Vermicelli Paayasam (Kheer) - Forgot to take picture.

For last year’s Dasara I made Date Laddus that I posted long back.

Sprouted Yellow Peas Curry – Oil Free

2009-09-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is a healthy (oil free) and yummy curry prepared using dry yellow peas. Here is how I sprouted these yellow peas.

Wash and soak yellow peas in plenty of water overnight. Then drain all the water and place them in a colander with small holes. Cover the colander tightly with a saran wrap. Keep it in a warm place. You must see sprouts after 8 to 12 hrs.

Check out Meera’s post on how to make different sprouts. I followed her tips on sprouting to the letter. Thanks for the wonderful tips Meera!!

Ingredients:

2 cups sprouted Yellow Peas
1 Onion, chopped
2 or 3 Green Chilies, chopped fine (can be replaced with red chili powder)
A pinch of Turmeric
A handful of Cilantro
A clove of Garlic, chopped
A small piece of Ginger, chopped
½ tsp Garam Masala
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt

Preparation:

Add the sprouted yellow peas in a bowl or pan, pour some water, cover and let it cook for some time. When the peas looks soft and cooked, add all the chopped veggies and mix well. Add turmeric and cilantro and stir well. Pour little water and leave the pan for some time until the onions become soft.

Finally add garam masala and mix well. Adjust salt and turn off the flame after all the water gets absorbed and the curry becomes little dry (not too dry).

This curry goes well with chapathis.

Super Salad

2009-09-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our dinner consists of a healthy salad with a sandwich. This is one such salad we prepared last week. It is full of deliciousness and health. We just mix and match ingredients. Try it and you will definitely like it.

Ingredients:

Assorted tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes), cut into half or whole
A can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
A handful of Corn
Lettuce leaves, chopped
Herbed croutons, fat free
Mixed nuts (like walnuts, cashews, almonds etc.)
Black pepper powder
Ranch/Mayonnaise/ Thousand Island Sauce

Preparation:

Just mix them all in a bowl. Sprinkle black pepper. Add desired sauce on top. Toss to coat well. Let it rest for 30 minutes and enjoy.

That’s all! So simple and yummy.

It’s time for Awards and Tags!

2009-09-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

I really have done a great thing by stepping into the blogger world. Or else how could I make so many lovely friends? I was showered with awards many times and I am so glad and thankful about it. Now it’s time again for some awards and tags.

Dear Lavi of Home Cook’s Recipes passed the “Yummy Blog Award”. Thank you for your sweet gesture Lavi!

Dear Mriganayani passed the Honest Scrap Award that came with a tag. Thank you for the award Mriganayani!

The rules of this tag are:

1. Please list 10 honest things about yourself.

2. Please put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on your blog. You will have to select at least 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links

3. Please notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow these three guidelines too.

I have done a similar tag before. Please check here: I’ve Been Tagged Again!

Dear Hari Chandana of Indian Cuisine passed the Kreativ Blogger Award, Scrumptious Blog, and a Tag. Thanks for everything Hari Chandana!

Here is the tag:

A – Available/Single? No
B – Best friend? My Hubby
C – Cake or Pie? Cake
D – Drink of choice? Mango Juice
E – Essential item you use every day? Computer
F – Favorite color? Green
G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? None
H – Hometown? Nellore, AP
I – Indulgence? None
J – January or February? February
K – Kids & their names? Two girls – Chaitrika, Pratheeka
L – Life is incomplete without? Happiness and Satisfaction
M – Marriage date? June 8
N – Number of siblings? 4
O – Oranges or Apples? Both
P – Phobias/Fears? Darkness
Q – Quote for today? Be happy and make others happy
R – Reason to smile? My Family
S – Season? Spring
T – Tag 4 People? Yes, more than 4
U – Unknown fact about me? Not sure
V – Vegetable you don't like? Broccoli
W – Worst habit? Procrastinating
X – X-rays you've had? In childhood
Y – Your favorite food? Noodles and Chapathis
Z – Zodiac sign? Virgo

I would like to pass the awards and the tags to:

Prasu	Sireesha	Sailaja	Shri	Vrinda
Madhavi	Indhu	Parita	Varsha	Kitchen Queen

CONGRATULATIONS FRIENDS!!

Last but not the least, I am so happy to get a beautiful and sweet award from dear Sanghi on the occasion of her century post. She passed the Diamond Friends Award. Thank you so much for the thoughtful award dear!

Mirapakaaya Bajji (Green Chili Fritters)

2009-09-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

The name “mirapakaya bajji” itself is enough to tempt me!! Imagine the taste! On one Sunday my hubby prepared these for the evening snack.

Here is how he made them,

Ingredients:

5 to 6 Long Green Chilies
1 cup Chickpea Flour (Senagapindi, Besan)
Salt
Oil to deep fry

For Stuffing:(You can use any combo of stuffing given below)

Coriander + Cumin Powder
Lemon Juice – A little (Optional)
Chili Powder (Optional)
Salt

Carom Seeds Powder (Vaamu, Ajwain)
Lemon Juice – A little (Optional)
Chili Powder (Optional)
Salt

Preparation:

Make slits in the chilies lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Prepare the desired stuffing by mixing all the ingredients under “For Stuffing” into a thick paste. Add very little water if needed.

Stuff the slit peppers with desired filling and keep aside.

Prepare a thick batter by mixing besan + salt + water.

Now, heat the oil in a deep pan. Dip the stuffed green peppers in the batter and carefully drop in the hot oil. Fry till the bajjis turn golden brown in color and remove from the oil.

Transfer the fried bajjis to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Repeat the same process with rest of the peppers.

Enjoy these super hit snacks with a cup of tea or coffee. Yummy!!

Quinoa Dosa

2009-08-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

Quinoa is a grain that has little crunchy texture. It gives a nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa belongs to spinach family. It is rich in proteins and fiber. Though Quinoa is not a very common grain in many kitchens, many are trying to explore this wonder grain due its health benefits.

Quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus; this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

I made Dosas with Quinoa and they tasted sooo delicious!! This is an instant dosa and doesn't need any fermentation. And these are very easy and quick to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups Organic Quinoa
1 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup Rice Flour
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients except oil into a batter using water as required. It should of dropping consistency and it should be considerably thin.

Heat a pan and pour a ladleful of batter and make a circle. But don’t spread it like most dosas. Start pouring the batter around the edge of the pan thus making a big hollow circle. Quickly fill in the circle with more batter. Pour little oil around the dosa and allow it to cook for some time.

Then flip it over and allow it to cook on the other side too. Pour little oil around the dosa if needed. Transfer the dosa to a serving plate.

Repeat the same process with rest of the batter. Enjoy these healthy and yummy dosas with desired chutney.

This is my contribution to "WYF: Breakfast event, hosted by EasyCrafts.

Cookies ‘N Berry Shake

2009-08-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

One day I felt like having some milkshake. I didn’t want to make regular strawberry milkshake or banana milkshake. So thought for a while and came up with the combination of strawberries with oatmeal cookies. But to my surprise it came out so yummy. Even DH liked it so much.

I just noticed that this is my 250th post, hooray!!

Ingredients:

4 cups Milk
4 Oatmeal Cookies (I used store-bought cookies)
10 Strawberries

Preparation:

Wash and add strawberries in a blender. Pour some milk and blend until smooth.

Then add cookies (break them into small pieces by hand) and the rest of the milk and blend again until smooth.

Filter to remove the pulp and pour into individual glasses. Enjoy this healthy shake anytime of the day!!

This is my contribution to Sireesha’s“Soup ‘N Juice” event.

I am also sending this to “Fall In Love – Milk”, hosted by Sanghi. Thanks for reminding me Sanghi!!

On a different Note:

I was again showered with awards by dear friends!! Thank you so much for your sweet gestures dears!!

A Fabulous Blog Award by Prasu, Shri, Priya

Scrumptious Blog Award by Sireesha, Sanghi, Shri, Priya

I would like to share this award with all my blogger friends!

Arati Kudumulu (Banana Modak) for Vinayaka Chavithi

2009-08-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Vinayaka Chavithi!! We had a great one too!! Every year we celebrate it with very enthusiasm and devotion. This year I prepared some yummy treats for Lord Ganesha. These include Arati Kudumulu, Undrallu, Bajjilu (Besan Fritters), Nimmakaya Pulihora (Lemon Rice), Bellam Pongali (Sweet Pongal).

Before going to the recipe of banana modak, I would like to share few snaps of our puja at home. We prepared Lord Ganesh’s idol at home with play dough that we made by ourselves. My daughter and I have created the idols. Look below.

The idol on the left is made by my daughter and on the right by me. Later we realized that her idol looked like Daddy Ganesha and mine like Baby Ganesha. Don’t you think so?

Few Snaps of our puja:

Now coming to the recipe for Banana Modak:

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice Flour
1 cup desiccated Coconut
3 ripe Bananas
½ cup Sugar
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

Mash bananas well with a fork or hand. To this add all other ingredients except oil and mix well with hand. We don’t have to add water as mashed bananas contain lot of water. Mix well until you get a soft texture. Keep aside.

Pour oil in a pan and heat. Take small portions of the prepared batter, make into desired shapes and drop into the hot oil carefully. Deep-fry until they turn golden brown in color and remove from the oil. Place on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil. Repeat the same process with rest of the batter.

Offer these yummy treats to Lord Ganesha!!

Other treats I prepared for Lord Ganesha are:

Undrallu – For this I followed Sailu’s recipe to the letter. Thank you for the easy recipe Sailu!! They turned out so delicious and perfect.

Lemon Rice

Assorted Fritters – These are made just in the same process I used for Variety Bajjis that I posted previously. But this time I used Green chilies, Cabbage Leaves, Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers for these bajjis.

Last but not the least, Sweet Pongal - for this too I followed my Chakra Pongali recipe that I posted previously. The only change I made was I replaced sugar with Jaggery (Bellam).

That was our treats for the holy occasion Ganesh Chathurdhi. How about you?

This is my contribution for “Janmashtami & Ganesh Chaturthi Event” hosted by Purva.

Check out our Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations last year!

Berry – Cherry Pops – Super Healthy

2009-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here is why I called these pops super healthy:

Strawberries – These are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Strawberries are proved to cure certain cancers, rheumatism, and constipation. They help in removing harmful toxins from the blood.

Cherries - These are rich in Vitamins C and A. Helps in preventing heart diseases. They also help in relieving pain from arthritis and headaches. In recent studies, it was proven that cherries help in weight loss too as they are low in calories, low in fat and contain a high percentage of water.

Milk - Rich in Calcium that helps build stronger bones so that reducing the risk of osteoporosis. It helps to develop good immune system. Milk even proved to provide healthy teeth.

Flax Seed Powder – These are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, thus promoting bone health. They help reduce high blood pressure. Apart from these there are many fabulous health benefits of Flax Seeds. If interested to know more, please read here.

Ingredients:

3 cups Cherries, washed and deseeded
1 cup Strawberries, washed
2 cups Milk, fat free
1 tbsp Flax Seed Powder

Preparation:

Blend cherries + strawberries until smooth. Add milk and flax seed powder and blend again.

Note: I didn’t add any sugar to this, so it wasn’t so sweet. If anyone wants too sweet a small amount of sugar can be added while blending.

Filter the contents to remove excess pulp. Pour into ice pop moulds and freeze until set (approx. 4 to 6 hours).

To unmold these pops, just place the mold in warm water for 2 seconds or place under running water from the tap. They come out easily after 2 seconds.

Enjoy these yummy, healthy popsicles on a hot summer day or whenever you wish.

As I used milk in this recipe, I am sending this to “Fall In Love – Milk”, hosted by Sanghi.

I am also sending this to "Cooking For Kids: Evening Snacks", hosted by Divya. This event is originally started by Sharmi of Neivedyam. Thanks for reminding me about the event Divya!!

Medley Masala Curry

2009-08-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

This curry is the fusion of many interesting ingredients, prepared by DH. It tasted so delicious and we enjoyed it a lot!!

Don’t get scared by looking at the big list of ingredients. Preparation is soooo easy!!

Ingredients:

1 can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of Pineapple chunks (20 oz) equal to 2.5 cups, drained
Few Cashews
Few whole Almonds, soaked for some time and peeled
A handful of Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
A handful of Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
A small piece of Ginger, peeled and chopped
3 or 4 Green Chilies, chopped
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 big Carrot, peeled and cut into small pieces
¼ cup Green Peas, frozen
¼ cup Corn, frozen
1 small Onion, chopped
2 or 3 dry red Chilies
½ tsp Soya Sauce
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Oil
Salt

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Stir well and then add cashews + almonds + red chilies and sauté well.

Then add all the other ingredients and sauté well. Add some water, cover and keep the pan on medium flame until the veggies are cooked and all the water gets absorbed. Adjust salt.

This curry goes well with chapathis.

I am sending this curry to 'Side dish for chapathi' event hosted by Viki of Viki's Kitchen.

Thank you Sanghi and Viki for reminding me about the event .

On a different Note:

Dear Ann of Happy and Healthy Cooking has passed Kreative Blogger Award and the tag. Thanks for your nice gesture Ann!!

Last but not the least, here are few snaps of my rose babies from our little garden. Our new rose plant just started blooming!!

Banana – Coconut Halwa (Fudge)

2009-08-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

As I had some very ripe bananas lying in the fruit basket, I thought of making this fudge. It turned out so delicious.

Ingredients:

4 ripe Bananas
2 cups desiccated Coconut
1 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Ghee
A pinch of Saffron
Some Cardamom
Some Raisins
Some Cashews

Preparation:

Peel and mash bananas well. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat 1 tsp ghee and add cardamom + raisins + cashews and fry till the cashews turn golden brown in color. Take them out of the pan and keep aside.

Add rest of the ghee to the pan and add coconut powder to it. Stir well and add mashed banana and sugar. Mix well.

Add saffron and keep stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Then turn off the flame and transfer the fudge to a greased plate and press tightly with a spatula.

Allow it to cool for some time and cut into desired shapes. These are perfect on festival days too.

Enjoy!

Tagged and Awarded

2009-07-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I do have many recipe posts, but summer laziness (?) is not letting me to edit them and post. So I just want to do a couple of tags and acknowledge some awards for this post.

Tags:

First Tag:

I was tagged long back for a chain of questions by Veda of Kai Kriye and Iyengar’s Kitchen. Sorry for taking so long in doing this Veda!! And thank you so much for the tag. I enjoyed doing it.

1. What is your current obsession?

Blogging and Music

2. What are you wearing today?

I am typing this at midnight, so obviously I am wearing a night dress.

3. What’s for dinner?

We had rotis with some curry and yogurt.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

Some pretty tops.

5. What are you listening to right now?

Only the sound of key board while I am typing this as everybody else is fast asleep.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?

She is so talented, friendly and sweet.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

My hometown, where I grew up.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?

Sunglasses and Sunscreen Lotion

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Hong Kong, the first foreign country I visited. I like it so much.

10. Which language do you want to learn?

All the languages in the world…

11. What’s your favourite quote?

“To err is human, to forgive divine.” -Alexander Pope

12. Who do you want to meet right now?

My Mom

13. What is your favourite colour?

Green and Aqua Blue

14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?

My Pink Churidar

15. What is your dream job?

A fashion designer

16. What’s your favourite magazine?

National Geographic

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

Not sure.

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?

Clothes that won’t fit well or suit well.

19. Who are your style icons?

None.

20. Describe your personal style.?

Simplicity

21. What are you going to do after this?

Go to sleep because I am typing this as midnight.

22. What are your favourite movies?

It’s very big list.

24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?

Body Lotion (I don’t use too many cosmetics or make up).

23. What inspires you?

Pleasant music

24. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

Simplicity, Smile and Decent Hair style.

25. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?

I just mix and match .

26. Coffee or tea?

Coffee is a must in the mornings and tea sometimes in the evening.

27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?

Just take a stroll in the fresh air.

28. What is the meaning of your name?

Uma means Goddess Parvathi.

29. Which other blogs you love visiting?

I love all the blogs.

I am adding one more:

30. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?

Almond Burfi (Fudge)

**The rules are: Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

Second Tag:

I was tagged again by Sailaja of Sailaja’s Kitchen who also passed an award. Actually this tag comes along with that award. Thank you for the award and the tag Sailaja.

She passed me the Kreativ Blogger award that comes with some rules:-

You must thank the person who has given you the award.
Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Sailaja, I have done a similar tag before too. Please check this post: I’ve Been Tagged Again!

Awards:

Pooja of My Experience with Cooking has passed me “One Lovely Blog” award long back. Thank you for the award Pooja!!

Muskaan and Sadhana of A2ZVegetarian Cuisine have passed me “I Love Your Blog” award. Thank you so much for your sweet gesture!

Now it’s my turn to pass these tags and awards. I know many of you have already got these awards before. It was so hard to choose some.

I am passing these to:

Dear friends, please accept the tags and the awards. Congratulations to you all!!